How to Drywall a Hidden Compartment
It's difficult to resist the pull of a hidden compartment of your own. Similar to a hidden room, only smaller, it's not just mysterious -- it's useful, too. Jewelry, old coins, secret diaries or any number of little treasures are safe from prying eyes or sticky fingers. A hidden compartment typically is built into a wall or a corner of a small area. Framed with 2-by-4-inch boards and accessed by a hidden or camouflaged door, you'll never know it's there. Drywalling the interior of the hidden compartment provides a finished interior for your treasure trove. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Sketch pad
- Straight edge
- Utility knife
- Drywall screws
- Drill
- Drywall tape
- Trowel
- Joint compound
- Sandpaper, coarse to smooth grades
- Primer
- Paint
Instructions
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Measure each facing of the interior of the hidden compartment. Find the height and width of the back wall, both of the side walls, the top (or ceiling) of the area as well as the bottom (or floor). If the door into the hidden compartment doesn't take up the entire front wall, measure the door opening, both width and height.
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Write each measurement down. Draw a rough sketch, including the door, if it helps you visualize the parts. Label each element with the dimensions obtained.
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3
Lay a tape measure on a sheet of drywall and mark the dimensions for each side of the compartment, including the wall with the door in it. Work with one side at a time, marking it, then cutting it, before measuring and marking the next. Connect the lines with a straight edge to ensure accuracy.
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4
Cut out the door dimensions from the piece cut for the wall involved. Mark the height and width of the opening, cut through and snap the door opening loose.
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Score through the paper facing on the drywall, keeping the straight edge in place to guide you. Snap the piece to break it free along the connected edges. Continue marking and cutting each successive piece, labeling each with the name of the facing it belongs with. Write on the back of the piece.
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6
Hold the drywall up in place according to where it goes. Use drywall screws and a drill to anchor each piece to a wood structural member behind it, such as a stud in the wall or the flooring at bottom. Make sure each drywall section has screws at the outer four corners at a minimum, regardless of how small the piece is.
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7
Spread a thin layer of drywall compound -- mud, as it's often called -- over each joint and every screw head using a trowel. Cut drywall tape and spread it across the doctored joints and spots, smoothing it in place and forcing excess compound to squirt out. The mud underneath the tape helps adhere it, and the tape itself provides a flat base surface.
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Scoop a small amount of mud up and spread it across the top of each joint, over the tape, as well as across every nail and tape spot. Apply in a thin layer, smoothing it with your trowel edge in the process.
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9
Sand to smooth, then apply a second layer after the first air-dries as instructed -- anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours, depending on the formula involved. Feather the edges out as you work to gradually blend into the wall. Repeat layers until you are satisfied with the smoothness and it is flush with the surrounding area.
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Prime and paint the drywall to complete the installation. Use several thin coats for best results.
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Tips & Warnings
When building a hidden compartment, a section of the stud wall often is removed and the resulting area framed, at top and bottom, between the adjacent studs. Other hidden compartments may be along the floor behind a false wall or any number of designs. To drywall the interior, you must have wood to anchor to. If the installation does not have enough wood framing, build more in before attaching the drywall.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
